In the News - Full Stories
How much time do Monroe County taxpayers want their local police to spend chasing down stray or homeless dogs and picking up abandoned dogs when there are criminals to catch and other emergencies to handle?
Area police departments say they have seen an increase in the number of stray and abandoned dogs with the increase in human population.
"This has been a summer for the books when it comes to homeless and abandoned dogs," Stroud Area Regional Police Lt. Brian Kimmins said. "We've had seven in the past month alone in our area (Stroudsburg, East Stroudsburg and Stroud Township)."
And some of those dogs have been dangerous. Two dogs, believed to have run loose and killed five cats and a deer, were recently euthanized after being shot by police in Stroudsburg.
Police and others suspect the growing number of abandoned dogs is spurred on in part by the poor economy. Owners no longer able to afford living in their homes move out and, no longer able or willing to keep their dogs, leave the dogs behind, tied to trees or posts.
Monroe County dog warden George Nixon, who also inspects kennels in Carbon County, is one of 63 dog wardens across the state working for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
Nixon, who was unavailable for comment, is only one person and can do only so much, police say. And police do what they can to answer the calls Nixon cannot.
"Our department only gets about five dog calls a month, which is a minimal amount, but it's unfortunate Monroe County only has one dog warden because we could definitely use more," Barrett Township Police Chief Steve Williams said.
Kimmins agrees more than one dog warden in the county would help.
"It definitely impacts our ability to perform our other duties when we have to spend time answering dog calls," he said.
More help unlikely
Department of Agriculture spokesperson Nicole Bucher said it's unlikely, with many agencies operating under budgetary restraints, that Monroe County will see more than one dog warden, at least in the near future.
"If there were to be an unusually high number of dog calls in Monroe County, we would have a regional supervisor and dog wardens from other counties come in to help, but that would take dog wardens away from those other counties," Bucher said.
Stroud Area Regional, Pocono Mountain Regional and Pocono Township police departments each have a kennel, while Barrett Township police have a portable crate, all for only short-term housing.
"We really try to do right by these animals because we care," Kimmins said. "Both myself and the chief have adopted rescued dogs. We have a lot of dog-lovers and animal-lovers on the force, but it's not like we can all take animals home with us.
"But when you talk about housing these dogs temporarily in our kennel and having officers feed them, give them flea-and-tick protection and walk them twice per shift, it all takes a significant chunk of time that we should be spending answering other types of calls, especially during hours when our call volume peaks," he said.
More animals, less room
Police departments notify the public in efforts to locate these dogs' owners while temporarily housing and caring for the dogs.
If the owners aren't located or don't come forward after a certain amount of time, police check to see if there's room at the AWSOM animal shelter in Stroud Township. The shelter, which is often filled to capacity, is struggling financially to stay open.
"We have more animals today but less facilities to house those animals than we did 20 years ago," said Pocono Township Police Chief Rick Staples. "It's a big problem."
If there's no room at the AWSOM shelter and the dogs are friendly, safe and adoptable, police can contact animal rescue volunteers to temporarily house and care for the dogs while finding them new homes. Police can also contact Camp Papillion in Stroudsburg or the recently formed Pocono Humane Society in Tobyhanna Township to do the same.
"The biggest help would be more responsible dog ownership," said Officer James Apgar of Pocono Mountain Regional Police, which covers Coolbaugh, Tobyhanna and Tunkhannock townships and Mount Pocono. "But in lieu of this, there needs to be a facility for the housing of stray and aggressive dogs and staff that would be able to respond to assist with the capture and transport of these animals."
The AWSOM animal shelter in Stroudsburg could close in a month if more money is not raised immediately.
"I'm not sure what will happen. We may not be around. If we don't have money to be open, we will be closed," said Angela McKenzie, treasurer of the Animal Welfare Society of Monroe.
The shelter is overpopulated with cats and has around $24,000 left in the operating funds, according to McKenzie. That is enough for 24 days. It takes about $1,000 a day to run the shelter, which shuns euthanization in most cases.
One reason for the shortfall is the high cost of saving animals with veterinary care. Leg amputations, wound care and a host of other long- and short-term medical issues are treated on animals that would be deemed unadoptable at some other shelters.
An increase in the number of animals abandoned at the shelter overnight is also to blame for the low funds. The practice is not allowed, yet several times a week, animals are dropped off, often in multiples, while the shelter is closed.
A small cage with a nursing cat and four kittens recently increased the cat population by five, McKenzie said. AWSOM has about 80 cats in need of homes.
Pet abandonment is an economy-driven trend across the state.
In Erie, 15 healthy cats were recently euthanized in one day due to lack of space at the Humane Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania. Euthanasia, predominantly of cats, is soaring due to a surge in abandonment, according to an article by Erie Times-News reporter Gerry Weiss.
AWSOM's no-kill shelter in Monroe County opened in November 2009 after the county went without a physical shelter for nine months. Previously it was run by the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which closed the Stroudsburg shelter in January 2009.
Rescue groups and animal advocates formed a new local response to animal welfare — a no-kill or life-affirming shelter philosophy in which sick animals are nursed back to health and no animal is euthanized just to make space for another.
The Pennsylvania SPCA now leases the Stroudsburg shelter to AWSOM, the organization formed by these animal advocates.
Adoptions declined in the summer in Stroudsburg, further reducing income. To encourage adoption, AWSOM is offering reduced cat adoption rates at a loss. Adopt one cat for the usual rate, $50, and get a second cat for $25. The fees don't cover the care AWSOM provides.
In addition to operating money, AWSOM has around $50,000 set aside for a spay/neuter clinic that is in the works. It is money the group does not want to touch for operation expenses.
"Once we have a clinic, we will be sustainable," said AWSOM board member Marie Grimm.
One hundred percent of donations go to shelter operation. Find information about donating at www.awsomanimals.org, or call 570-421-3647.
1/25/10 - AWSOM makes the front page of today's Pocono Record.
Animals at the AWSOM animal shelter in Stroudsburg don't all answer to the name "Lucky," but they could.
The shelter's life-affirming philosophy has local vets going to extraordinary measures, donating time and medical care, to save injured animals that the previous shelter operator would have deemed unadoptable and put on death row...Read full story
The AWSOM animal shelter in Stroud Township is up and running but still needs your help to fullfill its mission.
You'll recall the former Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals shelter near Godfrey Ridge Drive was closed for most of 2009 before AWSOM reached agreement with PSPCA to reopen and operate it. During the down time — with no Monroe County shelter available to take in abandoned animals — the number of strays skyrocketed. Some were literally starving. Some dogs banded together in packs, presenting a serious safety issue to the public.
Some police officers and community volunteers took strays into their own homes. Some were transported to shelters in other counties, making it more difficult to reunite them with families who had lost them and were seeking reunification.
The reopened shelter has changed all that for the better. But AWSOM needs your help to continue this vital service.
Dog walkers, age 18 and older, are sought. Socializers are needed to visit, play with, pet and talk to the animals. Volunteers also are needed to help staff clean bowls, litter boxes and cages. People are needed to maintain the grounds, office, lobby and parking area.
And volunteers are needed to help with off-site fundraising to pay the bills.
If you don't have the time but want to help, AWSOM will accept donations of dog and cat supplies, cleaning and linen items, pet carriers of all sizes, and accessories for tiny animals. Support items are needed too, such as shelving, shovels, pet-safe rock salt, light bulbs, clipboards, watering cans and bulletin boards.
To volunteer, donate or seek more information call (570) 421-3647 or vist www.awsomanimals.org. The Web site has a full list of needed items.
Taken from The Pocono Record January 2, 2010December 2009
Click the link to see the 12 Strays of Christmas as featured on WBRE news!
http://pahomepage.com/content/features/12_strays_of_christmas/
August 17, 2009
Pocono Record Editorial:
Help helpless pets and other forlorn animals
Click here for the article in the Pocono Record
August 9, 2009
Keith R. Stevenson/Pocono Record Keith R. Stevenson/Pocono Record Keith R. Stevenson/Pocono Record
Volunteers clean old PSPCA building in Stroudsburg
August 6, 2009
WNEP
5:21 PM EDT, August 6, 2009
Non-profit Hopes to Reopen Shelter
A new animal shelter could soon become a reality in Monroe County. The old animal shelter has sat empty for the last eight months after the Pennsylvania SPCA suddenly closed it's door last January, leaving no place in the county to surrender animals.
That is until now, according to Bill Hoffman,."We just acquired a lease to the the building for three years for a dollar a year from the PSPCA," he said.
Hoffman is president of the Animal Welfare Society of Monroe County, also known as AWSOM. The group is now leasing the old animal shelter in hopes of reopening it. Workers have been busy cleaning and repairing what needs to be fixed. When finished, AWSOM wants to shelter to be inviting to the entire public.
"Come in and feel the positive energy of people doing what they should be doing with the animals, saving their lives," said Marie Grimm, an AWSOM board member.
Local police and other animals groups which have helped pick up the slack since the shelter closed down said they are excited for the new beginning.
"Now we can have a place we can take injured animals, that we can take stray animals, abandoned animals," said SARPD Lieutenant Brian Kimmins.
"We've been for months trying to scramble with all of the homeless animals," said Heather Stephens, of Camp Papillon Pet Adoption and Rescue. "It's definitely a start."
Tere is a catch, hoewever. AWSOM has to raise $60,000 in order to open the shelter.
"That will give us about three months operating capital so that while we are waiting on the additional funding to come in we won't be forced to close down," said Hoffman.
AWSOM said if they get the funds they need to hope to open in the next few months.
Copyright © 2009, WNEP-TV
Animal-rescue group signs lease to reopen shelter
WBRE NewsSTROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY - People in Stroudsburg gave caged volunteers dollars the way you might give a caged animal a treat.
"We are here to try to raise enough funds to help the poor animals - get them off the streets and out of the woods and to create a safe haven for them," said Cookie Lancia.
She spoke on behalf of the Animal Welfare Society of Monroe, AWSOM for short. The society is raising money for a new shelter. The SPCA abruptly closed the county shelter last winter.
Since then local police have been forced to take in strays. "Officers are scheduled to take them for walks and feed them," said Brian Kimmins from the Stroud Area Regional Police.
That's why he volunteered to help. The rescue group locked Kimmins and other volunteers up for hours. Volunteer Pat Ross said, "To be confined anywhere - unless you're on an Island with Halle Berry or something - is not so good."
The volunteers were stuck until they raised $500 each for the charity. Stroudsburg Borough Council President Kim Didio volunteered and said, "I think anybody willing to step up and play an active part in the community is very good."
People passing by agreed. The set up touched Stephanie Benford so she made a donation. The Stroudsburg woman said, "Dogs that have been abused and dogs that have no where else need someplace just like people do and they need a good family."
Organizers hope others agree with Stephanie so staying in a cage helps give animals a place to stay.
May 28, 2009
Residents go to the doghouse to help animal group
May 26, 2009
Entering 'the dog house' for your pets' sake
Click here for the article at the Pocono Record
April 10, 2009
Group to pitch plan for PSPCA property in Monroe County
click here for the article at the Pocono Record...
March 31, 2009
Monroe County Animal Shelter Planned
WNEP news
After months without an animal shelter, Monroe County could soon have a place to send its strays.
Since the Pennsylvania SPCA suddenly shut down its Monroe County shelter in January, the county has struggled with stray animals.
Rescue groups tried to pick up the slack but without a licensed facility, police have no place to drop off displaced animals.
That could change, thanks to a group called AWSOM.
"There's no legal place for police officers or humane officers or the dog warden to take stray dogs," explained Samantha Holbert, AWSOM project manager.
She and Bruce Barton are the founding members of the Animal Welfare Society of Monroe County, or AWSOM. It's a newly formed non-profit aiming to get a shelter back into Monroe County as soon as possible.
"We all have the same goal which is helping the animals and providing a place for them to go," Holbert said.
AWSOM said its first order of business is finding a place to call home, possibly the old shelter in Stroud Township. It is currently for sale.
Members said they have been in talks with the Pennsylvania SPCA but there is no decision yet whether the group would have to buy or be given the property.
Money to buy, AWSOM said, would have to come from public donations.
"Help us get a shelter open whether it is this shelter gets reopened or another shelter. We have to have a shelter," Barton said.
The Animal Welfare Society of Monroe County is also looking for potential board members.
Copyright © 2009, WNEP-TV
Click here for the article at WNEP...
March 29, 2009
Reopened Monroe County animal shelter moves closer to reality
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